Today in History

Today is Sunday, Jan. 10, the 10th day of 2016. There are 356 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On Jan. 10, 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations convened in London. The first manmade contact with the moon was made as radar signals transmitted by the U.S. Army Signal Corps were bounced off the lunar surface.

On this date:

In 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published his influential pamphlet, "Common Sense," which argued for American independence from British rule.

In 1861, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union.

In 1870, John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil.

In 1901, the Spindletop oil field in Beaumont, Texas, produced the Lucas Gusher, heralding the start of the Texas oil boom.

In 1916, men loyal to Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa stopped a train at Santa Ysabel and shot a group of U.S. mining employees execution-style (the reported number of dead varies from 16 to 18).

In 1920, the League of Nations was established as the Treaty of Versailles (vehr-SY') went into effect.

In 1947, the musical fantasy "Finian's Rainbow," with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, opened on Broadway.

In 1957, Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, following the resignation of Anthony Eden.

In 1967, Massachusetts Republican Edward W. Brooke, the first black elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, took his seat.

In 1971, "Masterpiece Theatre" premiered on PBS with host Alistair Cooke introducing the drama series "The First Churchills." French fashion designer Coco Chanel died in Paris at age 87.

In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century.

In 2000, America Online announced it was buying Time Warner for $162 billion (the merger, which proved disastrous, ended in Dec. 2009).

Ten years ago: Iran resumed nuclear research two years after halting the work to avoid possible U.N. economic sanctions. Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs unveiled an iMac computer based on Intel chips at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Bruce Sutter became the fourth relief pitcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Five years ago: The nation got its first look at Jared Loughner, the accused assailant of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, as a federal judge in Phoenix ordered the 22-year-old suspect held without bail. A judge in Austin, Texas, ordered former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to serve three years in prison for his money laundering conviction. (DeLay's conviction was ultimately overturned.) No. 1 Auburn beat No. 2 Oregon 22-19 on a last-second field goal to win the BCS national title. Singer Margaret Whiting, 86, died in Englewood, New Jersey.

One year ago: Hundreds of thousands of people marched in French cities from Toulouse in the south to Rennes in the west to honor the victims of recent terror attacks. SpaceX sent a supply ship soaring flawlessly toward the International Space Station, but the booster rocket ended up in pieces in the Atlantic following a failed attempt to land on a barge.